Yesterday, we changed our wall’s color from dull off-white to lemon yellow. Our small house now looks happy, warm, and somehow attractive. And every time I look at our wall, there is this wanting to read more books and magazines, and be productive. And of course, sing Spongebob’s theme song.

Seven-year old son came from school crying. I asked the reason. He mentioned Teacher Angel told him he placed second on the honor roll. He wanted to be the first. I never thought my son takes his studies seriously. Now I know.

I will be meeting his class adviser tomorrow for his report card. I will take a look as well on the top ten list to know the average difference between the first and the second. Now, I’m affected too.

Like this:

This is my seven-year old son’s front tooth. He took it off two nights ago while watching Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. It was not an agonizing experience, I was told. “My tooth came out quite painlessly,” he just said.

I remember a little girl twenty-five years ago. She was accidentally punched on the mouth by her hyper male cousin while playing in a neighbor’s backyard. The silly fool effortlessly cried and ran for help, desperately clutching her front tooth.

Glad my son is not like his mother, who by the way, took crisis management to easily handle any uncomfortable situation. She is still having trouble handling her own problems, very much the same poor gal 25 years ago.

Like this:

Will Smith’s Seven Pounds is what I aptly expected as a well-thought-of follow-up to his Pursuit of Happyness. It was, on the contrary, a lengthy public service announcement on the risk of text-messaging while driving.

MOMIS TWO CENTS WORTH| Seven Pounds

The first few minutes of the flick showed signs of an interesting mystery movie for Smith. The series of challenging muddled scenes was a torture, giving me a little hope on how to connect all loose ends. For goodwill or otherwise, Smith’s actions were a puzzle yet to be solved. His behaviors seemed to have no apparent motive-

Called 911 to report a suicide. Berated a blind meat salesman over the phone. Tagged along the same man to engage in a gentle conversation afterward. Spied on a hospital patient. Etal.

All throughout the film, it was Smith’s unfailing pain-struck expression that caught my attention. His sad face play all the more ignited my presumption that the movie will further develop into a heavy drama. His repetitively forever-change-your-life spiel not only offered curiosity of the film’s ending but likewise confirmed its beyond the pursuit of happiness stance.

Enlightenment surfaced nearing the picture’s conclusion. May well be a bizarre manner of making amends for a devastating mistake in his past, Smith’s purpose was made clear from the beginning – seek seven lives he deemed worthy of his fortune to finally make up for the seven lives he took. But what made the film both psychologically absorbing and exhausting was the way the movie progresses, very careful not to fully reveal the motivation of the main character by showing only snippets of the past and the present. I salute director Muccino for this – carefully manipulating the story with a high goal not to break Smith’s illusiveness.

The very slow pace of the flick might have caused grave emotional burden that left me dumbfounded for a few minutes. The story was indeed both surprising and poignant.

A classic case of tragic redemption, the “lucky” heirs include: (1) brother ben for his lung lobe; (2) wife-beater victim Connie for his beach house; (3) child service worker Holly for his liver; (4) hockey coach George for his kidney; (5) young boy Nicholas for his bone marrow; (6) meat salesman and pianist Ezra for his corneas; and (7) terminally-ill Emily for his heart.

At the end, and aside from reminding me the famous DON’T DRIVE WHILE TEXTING campaign, the movie reiterated Squidward’s warning to Spongebob-

Obviously, Valentine’s Day devotees would spend an hour or more petting and rekindling old promises over candle lit dinner. and so, for the second time that I brought husband at A Venetto Pizzeria, the now famed “wait to be seated” sign still greeted us.

We circled around Glorietta. Almost all diners were filled with lovers. The only decent choice left was Cabalen. With its buffet set-up, certainly families and not sweethearts occupy the place.

Filipino. Thailand. Forgot the other one. The only choice left was to devour every appetizing dish. Experiment on the sauces, and taste each weird sounding and looking cuisine. Adobong balut, included.

I was defeated, on the contrary, by my fear over uncooked foodstuff. Maki etal still all appeared so plain and uninteresting to me. and I did not bother jam my plate with those kind.

The most enjoying part was the dessert. The marshmallow with chocolate dip was the bestseller of all. Advantageously seated just very close to the buffet table, I hurriedly loaded my saucer with three colorful marshmallows as soon as I noticed the food attendant done with refilling the bowl.

We ended up feeling real sleepy. and I, disheartened that I have no teddy bear to bring home for Aguel. We should have ordered mango juice to claim that cute bear promo.

Like this:

And I saw those blue orbs again. I may say as well that I appreciated her here -seeing more emotions and smiles – compared to her in the Happening.

I literally rented cinema 2 that 4pm at Blue Wave Marikina for only P120. That was the advantage (with no hard laughing or loud burger munching in the background) of seeing a movie on a Wednesday… at Marikina. Most people, I guess, were either at Ortigas or Makati, or at the Fort and Libis perhaps, reporting for duty.

I enjoyed the film. Not because of the lead actor (I am totally not a Jim Carrey fan). Neither because of Zooey (I liked her clothes and singing though). And not definitely because of the script.

I enjoyed the film simply because Yes Man has a message to share- open Carl’s mind to other possibilities by not restricting his options to NO only.

Body skating and singing Third Blind Eye’s Jumper are new additions to my bucket list. Indeed, the movie is not for Carl’s realization alone.

Like this:

After months of being too focused on work, I finally had my time yesterday. I have decided that my lunch break would be spent blissfully.

While savoring on my pinanyahang manok baon, I singled out the “Happening” from pcnimjsee movie selection. As husband’s favorite actor, I was brainwashed (somehow) that Mark Wahlberg is a fine actor. I’ve seen his Max Payne and I appreciated his acting thus the I thought the Happening would be a nice follow-up movie. It proved me wrong.

The happening was such a lame ecological thriller with nothing much to offer than make its characters run from an unknown menace and end up in peculiar places with odd individuals.

The unexplained and unseen phenomenon, until the end, remained unsolved. To add to the partly nerve-racking event, the Happening prompted people to kill themselves. This was after they’ve been exposed to the strong blow-of-winds and swaying-of-the-trees-and-grass effect.

The only firm answer the movie showed – nearing the end of the flick – however, was the resolved silent war between lead actor Elliot and his wife Alma. and this Alma, by the way, truly mesmerized me. Definitely not the acting , body or hair, but her blue orbs. It may be enough to at least claim that I had a delightful lunch break.

Like this:

“They all say we lose 21 grams at the exact moment of death. How much fits into 21 grams? How much is lost?”

Told in non-linear story fashion, 21 grams is the story of life and death that uses misfortune and “twist of fate” to bring three very different individuals together.

What made 21 grams worth sitting through-

• The stellar performances by Sean Penn, Benicio del Toro, and Naomi Watts. Of the three characters, I am impressed with Sean Penn’s sensitive performance as a critically ill college professor who is in dire need of a heart transplant.

• The movie remains brave, asking questions most filmmakers might shy away from. Sean Penn’s monologue at the end of the film reveals the title’s importance- how one measures life itself.

• The non-linear orientation of the film is so controlling that threads each character’s emotion awaiting the end result of the abrupt incident.